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It’s Developmental Disability Awareness Month and we want to highlight some success stories.

Here’s another success story from one of the people receiving services through The Arc of North Carolina! #DDAM2021

When Eliza was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. After the tumor was removed, she began to have cognitive and physical challenges. There was a not a known cause for these issues and by age 4, Eliza began receiving therapies. Eliza’s mom, Kathryn, says that as a young mom, she was not sure how to characterize Eliza’s issues. Eliza was sensitive, she liked rigid routines, and she had anxiety. By the time Eliza was in the 4th grade, Kathryn felt like Eliza’s symptoms resembled those of autism. Eliza began having frequent, emotional outbursts.

It’s Developmental Disability Awareness Month and we want to highlight some success stories.

Our first story is about Noah and his parents, who have had quite the journey.

Noah is an amazing young man with dedicated parents, Chris and Cheri. When Noah came into the world Cheri said, “he had a special spirit.” As he got older, his parents knew that there was something different about Noah. When he was eight years old, Noah was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Shortly after receiving the dual diagnosis, Cheri set up therapy appointments and enrolled him in social groups for kids with autism. She also worked with Noah’s school and discovered therapeutic sports through the local Parks and Recreation Department. This was a breakthrough, not only for Noah, but it helped Cheri and Chris meet other parents who had children with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

The Arc of North Carolina continues to work closely with families and community organizations to ensure all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccine schedule. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) met with a group of leaders from I/DD organizations, including members of our staff, to discuss vaccine prioritization.

Our concerns were heard; however, NC DHHS made the decision to leave the current vaccine schedule in place.

The Arc of North Carolina has been advocating for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families for almost 70 years. We have developed strong partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations to ensure their issues are heard and addressed.

The Arc of North Carolina continues to receive emails and phone calls from parents and caregivers of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have been admitted to the hospital and are being denied access due to COVID restrictions.

The US Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resolved a federal complaint filed by Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) and The Arc of North Carolina alleging that North Carolina’s scarce medical resource plan illegally deprioritized people with disabilities in the allocation of lifesaving care.